please spread and share widely!!! /// difuser et partager massivement svp!!!
evidence of police violence///evidence de violence de la police
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQCP_inka-Q 5th and 6th of Jan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R94JqCegpI november video
https://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/jungle-resists-fascist-and-police-attacks-050115/ -
blog post from night of 5th jan
A second night of clashes! 06/01/2015
VIDEO BELOW
At midnight on the 6th of January, refugees put logs and metal poles on the highway to block traffic and make it possible to access the backs of lorries going to the UK. Rapidly the police reduced the traffic on the motorway, temporarily closing the entire road. However people continued to gather on the edge of the Jungle to fight the police.
A large amount of tear gas was fired and the police adhered to thier usual strategy of launching the cannisters across a wide area far beyond the front entrance of the jungle, at the end of Rue Des Garennes, where people were gathered. The intent of the police to collectively punish people was clear. During the night there was also many injuries from tear gas canisters hitting people, causing burns and bleeding. The police’s use of CS gas on refugees has become normalised in the media and in the Jungle. The tear gas could be smelt across the entire camp and the cloud of toxic fume could be seen from far away.
As the fighting continued, the police deployed two water cannon and also the lethal force of rubber bullets, which injured two minors. They also fired salvos of tear gas cannisters ballistically, shooting them straight into the Jungle at head height, rather than firing them into the air to drop down.
If the injuries from this assault are difficult to quantify, it is easy to count the scores of respiratory problems, skin and eye irritations. The mass tear gassing also burnt and damaged multiple buildings. Once tear gas has contaminated buildings which are mostly made out of plastic canvas, the smell of it and the acrid taste it leaves in the back of the mouth are impossible to remove.
In spite of the heavy bombardment of chemical weaponry, lots of the people living in the jungle continued to show defience and to attack the police with stones. Cries of « fuck you police » rang out over the hum of generators and the concussion grenades. People also picked up still smoking gas pellets and threw them back at the police. As always, No Borders activists were present to record the police violence and administer Maalox to lessen the affects of the tear gas.
The amount of police, security forces, and resources deployed in Calais at the moment is staggering. Throughout the night several companies of CRS could be seen re-deploying over the motorway between Route Des Gravelines and Rue Des Garennes. Three water cannons were in place. Yet in the face of this brutal repression, people continue to attack and cross the border, and people continue to defy the police!
Jungle resists Fascist and Police Attacks 05/01/15
At approximately 00.30am on the morning of the 5th of January, a group of refugees left the jungle and walked up Route Des Gravelines towards town. As they passed the house of the neo-nazi sympathisers connected with Les Calasien en Colere, they were attacked by a group of fascists, who persued them and attempted to follow them into the Jungle.
When this happened, the Kurdish community, who have women and children living next to Chemin Des Dunes, mobilised themselves in self-defence and drove the fascists away from the Jungle. The confrontation then spilled out onto Route Des Gravelines. The fascists began throwing rocks at the Kurdish community, carefully observed by the xenophobic state fascists in uniform the CRS. In fact, the fascists could be seen throwing rocks stood side by side with CRS officers who were firing gas rounds into the jungle.
As members of the Kurdish community approached the fascists they retreated behind the police, who proceeded to fire large amounts of tear gas at the refugees. At one point, members of the Kurdish community advanced half way down Route Des Gravelines with two molotov cocktails, which they then threw on the ground in front of themselves. Clearly demonstrating that they are capable of violent action but that they had chosen not to use this level of violence. They then called out for the fascists to « fight them like men », rather than hide behind police lines. In response to this, the fascists remained behind the police. While the fascists cowered behind their police, the state thugs drove the refugees off Route Des Gravelines with a shower of tear gas.
The police then proceeded to advance onto Chemin Des Dunes, still firing huge amounts of tear gas. The police incursion into the jungle, came as far as the first water point by the Kurdish restaurant, before they retreated out of the jungle. There are also reports of police attempts to enter the family area, before they became lost and disorientated and had to retreat. By this point the police must have fired over 100 rounds of tear gas, which reached as far as the Ashram kitchen in one direction and the Sudanese area in the other. Concussion grenades were fired and rubber bullets were also deployed. The fighting ended at around 4am as large amounts of tear gas enveloped the family area. As the police withdrew, children and families who had been forced to evacuate thier homes returned to try and get some sleep that night, despite the fact that their homes had been bathed in toxic gas.
Once again there has been a significant and indiscriminate chemical weapon attack on a refugee camp, primarily in an area populated by women and children. However it was also a night of collective strength that saw people coming together to defend themselves against an attack by local neo-nazis. The jungle fought against the fascists, who were incapable of entering the camp due to the efforts of the Kurdish community who are extremely well organised and came together rapidly when threatened. Furthermore, some of the refugees who were initially attacked were said to be Afghan. When they were attacked the Kurdish supported them. This has reportedly improved the relationship between the two communities. Against the threat of fascist violence, and with the backdrop of daily border violence, different groups of people from varying communities are creating new solidarity links and connections, reducing the borders between each other.
During the night and into the morning, No Borders activists were on hand to offer remedies for the effects of tear gas. Spraying Maalox or blowing smoke into the eyes of those who had been overcome by the noxious fumes. We stand in solidarity with all the other residents of the Jungle!
27th December – 2nd January Weekly Summary
Sunday 27th
Around thirty fascists collected together outside a house on Route des Gravelines. One CRS van was also present alongside an unknown vehicle with a large mounted spotlight shining a bright light into the eyes of volunteer drivers as they pass by.
At around 23:40pm an unknown white car passed by the entrance to the jungle via Rue des Garennes. A firecracker/explosive was thrown from the car window towards a group of Sudanese people who were leaving the jungle. CRS officers ID controlled a CMS activist who was nearby. When enquiring about the incident, CRS officers replied saying “Some people are upset about certain situations here in Calais, people deal with their anger in different ways.”
Monday 28th
At around 08:00am an Iranian man died after boarding a truck with two others destined for England. After they began to suspect it was travelling in the wrong direction, one man tried to visually confirm this by looking out of an opening in the truck and was killed instantly by colliding with a bridge pillar.
Volunteers began laying a road along the side of the new container camp within the jungle. La Vie Active worked alongside the CRS to quickly stop construction of the gravel road. A bulldozer was brought in immediately to remove and clear away the stones that had already been laid. The intention of this destruction is to reduce access points to the main jungle camp.
Tuesday 29th
Twenty seven fascists carrying sticks and metal bars patrol up and down Route de Gravelines between Chemin des Dunes and the bridge. One CRS van was present with three CRS officers stood socialising with the fascists. No CRS were present on the bridge, instead fascists stand watch over the bridge and motorway.
Thursday 31st
Around 80 people both with and without papers gathered outside the Police station / Detention Centre at Coquelles for a noise demo to protest the violence of the border regime and to show solidarity to those imprisoned there. A small group of around 10 local fascists from the group Les Calaisiens en Colere also attended in an attempt to intimidate protesters, but were left subdued by the size of the demo.
In the evening a large group of migrants tried to march into town but were turned around on Rue Mollien by CRS and ordered to return to the jungle.
Shortly before midnight, the jungle was attacked with tear gas shot by CRS from the main motorway bridge that runs over Rue des Garennes. The large cloud of CS gas rising into the air was visible from across the jungle.
Friday 1st
A second female volunteer from the jungle was threatened on Route des Gravellines by knife wielding fascists. The ever present officers took no action and continued to allow the fascists to act with impunity.